Healthy eating brand Kettlebell Kitchen goes in to liquidation

MANCHESTER's healthy fast food chain Kettlebell Kitchen has gone into liquidation after failing to secure funding to pay its staff’s wages. The First Street (above) and Salford branches have already been closed, but the original on Great Ancoats Street remains open for the moment

It looks like the end of the road for the gym-themed fast food brand, which provided its weight-lifting clientele with junk food alternatives – the likes of protein pizza, 'clean kebabs' and build-your-own-boxes.

The quality of the menu was as important to founder Carley Jones as her love of Crossfit regimes. She devised the core dishes in her own kitchen and there were no shortcuts in quality.

In one interview she declared: “Our meat is all locally-sourced direct from a farm in Leeds, so there is no middle man. There aren’t any substances added to fill the meat or any additives or preservatives, it’s genuine unprocessed meat. And all our sauces are homemade every day.”

In another interview about the time of the Ancoats opening in 2017 she said her aim was for Kettlebell to be “ a chain of Nandos proportions.”

Members of staff were informed of the closure and job losses on Friday when they were due to be paid.

A statement released by Kettlebell Kitchen said: "The company is entering liquidation due to a number of stores trading unprofitably, impacting cash flow and ultimately having a material negative effect on the rest of the business.

"The company had secured funding previously in order to meet wage payments and it was hoped the same would be possible on this occasion.Regrettably it was not possible and the company deeply regrets the affect this may have to staff and creditors.

"The company is Carley’s passion and she is devastated by events which have spiralled beyond her control.

"The company has faced financial difficulty for over half a year now and Carley has done all she can to keep staff employed and protected from those issues.

"Regrettably, this time it was not possible and the company deeply regrets the affect this may have to staff and creditors."